Idol [Lee Felix of Stray Kids]

71. Real Life

"Are you okay?" Hana asked AiDi as their van drove down the busy roads of Sydney towards their family home, with Charlie who was fast asleep in her car seat in the middle. AiDi swallowed thickly and nodded, but Hana could see through his brave facade; his puffy eyes were a testament to his tears on the plane.

She still couldn't come to terms with why Hyunjin would go on live and tell the fans that he and AiDi were only friends when she knew they had been more than that. Ever since the live, she had wanted to confront him, but she refrained for the sake of her brother and Felix.

Hana understood Hyunjin's need to protect AiDi, but lying about their relationship was not the right approach. Now her brother was hurting, and she felt helpless in shielding him from the pain that was consuming him.

"You don't have to be strong, AiDi," she said softly, and that was enough for him to break down. His shoulders shook as he gasped and choked on his tears, prompting Hana to move beside him and pull him into a comforting hug. "It's going to be okay."

He held onto her sweater tightly as the van continued its journey.

In the van behind them, Felix and the others sat in tense silence, occasionally glancing at Hyunjin, who was lost in thought after his impulsive decision to go live and cause so much pain to AiDi.

"Why would you say that?" Seungmin finally broke the silence as he turned to look at Hyunjin, a mix of confusion and concern on his face. The atmosphere was thick with tension as everyone processed the fallout of his actions.

Hyunjin snapped back to reality at Seungmin's question, hesitating as he tried to formulate an explanation. "I— I thought it was the right thing to do," he stammered, his voice barely audible. "I didn't want to put any pressure on AiDi or cause more issues for everyone."

"But lying never helps," Felix interjected, casting a sidelong glance at Hyunjin. "If you care about AiDi, you should have been honest with the fans. It's not fair to him—or to you."

Guilt flashed across Hyunjin's face as he absorbed their words. "I thought... maybe it would protect him. I thought they would back off if they thought it was just—just friendship."

Jisung leaned forward, his expression serious. "But that's not how relationships work, Hyunjin. Hiding the truth only complicates everything further."

"If it's so easy for you, then why don't you and Lee Know tell the world you're together?" Hyunjin shot back defensively, frustration evident in his voice. The van fell into an uncomfortable silence, the intensity of his words hanging heavily in the air.

"Hyunjin, that's not fair," Felix countered, his tone firm. "We're not the ones lying. We're trying to support each other, and we'd never hurt one another like that—not on purpose. What you did puts AiDi in a difficult position."

"Yeah, it does," Seungmin added quietly, trying to ease the escalating tension. "What you thought was protection only adds to his pain. You can't keep lying to fans forever."

Hyunjin's face flushed with shame as he internalized their criticisms. "I didn't mean for it to become like this," he mumbled, his voice barely audible. "I just wanted to shield him from all the craziness."

"Then why even ask him to be your boyfriend if your intention was to protect him?" Lee Know asked pointedly. "You could have completely avoided this by being straightforward."

"Why don't you tell everyone that you and Han are together?" Hyunjin shot back, his voice rising in anger.

Lee Know rolled his eyes. "The fans have been shipping us since the very beginning; they can see that we're dating even without an announcement."